Veronica plant named ‘Dovercanb’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Veronica plant named ‘Dovercanb’, characterized by its relatively compact and upright plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit and moderate growth rate; freely basal branching habit; freely flowering habit on first year&#39;s growth; long and dense inflorescences with numerous violet-colored flowers; and good performance as a container and garden plant.

Botanical designation: Veronica hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DOVERCANB’.

PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY INVENTOR & APPLICANT/ASSIGNEE

An European Community Plant Breeder's Rights application for the instantplant was filed by the Applicant/Assignee, Dümmen Group B.V. of De Lier,The Netherlands on Nov. 4, 2022, application number 2022/2476. Foreignpriority is not claimed to this application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Veronicaplant, botanically known as Veronica hybrida, typically grown as acontainer or garden plant and hereinafter referred to by the name‘Dovercanb’.

The new Veronica plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands. The objective ofthe breeding program is to create new Veronica plants with attractiveflowers arranged on long inflorescences and good container and gardenperformance.

The new Veronica plant originated from an open-pollination in April,2017 of a proprietary selection of Veronica hybrida identified as codenumber VE16-000031-004, not patented, as the female, or seed, parentwith an unknown proprietary selection of Veronica hybrida as the male,or pollen, parent. The new Veronica plant was discovered and selected bythe Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of thestated open-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment inAalsmeer, The Netherlands in June, 2018.

Asexual reproduction of the new Veronica plant by terminal stem cuttingsin a controlled greenhouse environment in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands,since June, 2018 has shown that the unique features of this new Veronicaplant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Veronica have not been observed under all possiblecombinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. Thephenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditionssuch as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variancein genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Dovercanb’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Dovercanb’ as a new and distinct Veronicaplant:

-   -   1. Relatively compact and upright plant habit.    -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit and moderate growth rate.    -   3. Freely basal branching habit.    -   4. Freely flowering habit on first year's growth.    -   5. Long and dense inflorescences with numerous violet-colored        flowers.    -   6. Good performance as a container and garden plant.

Plants of the new Veronica differ primarily from plants of the femaleparent selection primarily in flower color as plants of the new Veronicahave violet-colored flowers whereas plants of the female parentselection have purple-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Veronica can be compared to plants of Veronicalongifolia ‘Alllove’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,478. Inside-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Veronica differ primarilyfrom plants of ‘Alllove’ in flower color as plants of the new Veronicahave violet-colored flowers whereas plants of ‘Alllove’ have redpurple-colored flowers. In addition, plants of the new Veronica are morecompact than plants of ‘Alllove’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the Veronica plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the actualcolors of the new Veronica plant.

The photograph on the first sheet (FIG. 1 ) comprises a side perspectiveview of a typical flowering plant of ‘Dovercanb’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet (FIG. 2 ) comprises close-up views ofa typical inflorescence and the upper and lower surfaces of typicalleaves of ‘Dovercanb’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and following descriptionwere grown in 17-cm containers during the summer in a glass-coveredgreenhouse in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands and under cultural practicestypical of commercial Veronica production. During the production of theplants, day temperatures averaged 21 C and night temperatures averaged15 C. Plants were 16 weeks old when the photographs and the descriptionwere taken. In the following description, color references are made toThe Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, Fifth Edition, exceptwhere general tetms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Veronica hybrida ‘Dovercanb’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Veronica            hybrida identified as code number VE16-000031-004, not            patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown proprietary selection of            Veronica hybrida, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal stem cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 16 days at            temperatures about 26 C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 21 days at            temperatures about 23 C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 24 days            at temperatures about 23 C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 28 days            at temperatures about 18 C.        -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; typically            white to light yellow in color, actual color of the roots is            dependent on substrate composition, water quality,            fertilizer type and formulation, substrate temperature and            physiological age of roots.        -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; medium density.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant type.—Herbaceous perennial.        -   Plant and growth habit.—Relatively compact and upright plant            habit with long and dense inflorescences; overall plant            shape, oblong to narrowly oblong; moderately vigorous growth            habit and moderate growth rate.        -   Plant height, soil level to top of foliar plane.—About 18            cm.        -   Plant height, soil level to top of floral plane.—About 28            cm.        -   Plant width.—About 29 cm.        -   Lateral branch description.—Branching habit: Freely basal            branching habit with about ten primary stems per plant each            with up to four secondary branches; pinching is not            required, but will enhance lateral branching potential.            Length (excluding inflorescence): About 19 cm. Diameter:            About 4 mm. Internode length: About 3 cm. Strength: Strong.            Aspect: Erect to about 20 degrees from vertical. Texture and            luster: Pubescent; glossy. Color, developing: Close to 143C.            Color, developed: Close to 143A.-   Leaf description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, single.        -   Length.—About 8 cm.        -   Width.—About 3 cm.        -   Shape.—Lanceolate.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Obtuse.        -   Margin.—Serrate with shallow and divergent indentations.        -   Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth,            glabrous; glossy.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate and reticulate.        -   Color.—When opening and fully expanded leaves, upper            surface: Close to 137B; venation, close to 137B. When            opening and fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to            137D; venation, close to 137B.        -   Petioles.—Length: About 8 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm.            Strength: Moderately strong. Texture and luster, upper and            lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; glossy. Color, upper            surface: Close to 137B. Color, lower surface: Close to 137D.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement and shape.—Single campanulate flowers            arranged on long and dense terminal racemes; flowers face            mostly outwardly.        -   Flowering habit.—Freely flowering habit with about 57            flowers per inflorescence and about 2,821 flowers developing            per plant during the flowering season.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Natural flowering season.—Long flowering period; plants            flower continuously from June to August in The Netherlands;            plants begin flowering about ten weeks after planting;            flowers not persistent.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 6 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm.            Shape: Elliptic. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous;            matte. Color: Close to 91A.        -   Inflorescence height (length).—About 12 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 1.7 cm.        -   Flower diameter.—About 8 mm by 8 mm.        -   Flower length.—About 8 mm.        -   Throat diameter.—About 2 mm.        -   Tube length.—About 2 mm.        -   Tube diameter.—About 2 mm.        -   Petals.—Quantity and arrangement: Four in a single whorl;            petals fused proximally. Length: About 3 mm. Width: About            5 mm. Shape: Obovate; concave. Apex: Obtuse. Margin: Entire;            not undulate. Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces:            Smooth, glabrous; matte. Texture and luster, throat and            tube: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color: When opening, upper            and lower surfaces: Close to 91A and 92A. Fully opened,            upper and lower surfaces: Close to 91A and 92A; venation,            close to 91A and 92A; color does not change with subsequent            development. Throat and tube: Close to 91A and 92A;            venation, close to 91A and 92A.        -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: Four arranged in a single            whorl and fused at the base. Length: About 2 mm. Width:            About 1 mm. Shape: Deltoid. Apex: Acute. Base: Fused.            Margin: Entire. Texture and luster, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; semi-glossy. Color: When opening            and fully opened, upper surface: Close to 138A. When opening            and fully opened, lower surface: Close to 138A.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 7 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Aspect:            Primary peduncles, upright; secondary peduncles, about 20            degrees from main peduncle axis. Strength: Moderately            strong. Texture and luster: Pubescent; semi-glossy. Color:            Close to 143A.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 1 mm. Diameter: Less than 1 mm.            Aspect: About 45 degrees from peduncle axis. Strength:            Moderately strong. Texture and luster: Pubescent;            semi-glossy. Color: Close to 143A.        -   Flower bracts.—Length: About 5 mm. Width: About 1 mm. Shape:            Acicular. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to N137A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Two.            Filament length: About 6 mm. Filament color: Close to 92A.            Anther shape: Roughly oblong. Anther size: About 1 mm by            2 mm. Anther color: Close to 92A and N155A. Pollen amount:            Abundant. Pollen color: Close to 10C. Pistils: Quantity per            flower: One. Pistil length: About 5 mm. Stigma diameter:            Less than 1 mm. Stigma shape: Capitate. Stigma color: Close            to 90B. Style length: About 3 mm. Style color: Close to 92B.            Ovary color: Close to 143C.        -   Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit development has            not been observed on plants of the new Veronica.-   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Veronica have    not been noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to    Veronica plants.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Veronica have exhibited good    garden performance and to be tolerant to rain, wind, temperatures    ranging from about −35 C to about 30 C and to be suitable for USDA    Hardiness Zones 4 through 9.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Veronica plant named ‘Dovercanb’ asillustrated and described.